Asthma And Cats

[wombat]

I've become highly allergic to my own cat, so the long term solution is that my family will move into a new apartment, but my sister will have her own separate studio apartment in the same building and take in my cat so i can still continue to take care of him, play with him and love him. My fear though is that my sister supposedly had asthma as a child (I say supposedly because the doctor based it on symptoms when my sister was sick and didn't conduct tests like a spirometry). I heard that childhood asthma can come back in adulthood.

Does anyone here have asthma? Is it dangerous living with asthma and having a cat? How have you managed to cope with having asthma and having a cat?

 

[foxxycat]

I don't think its dangerous. There is a lady I know who does rescue who has bad asthma and she still has cats living with her. She's on inhaled steroids which seems to do the job. When it gets hard to breath she takes albuterol from her doctors recommendation.

It all depends on how bad it gets-some people get it from allergies and misdiagnose themselves with it. I have exercise induced asthma and allergies. The only thing I notice is itchy eyes/throat around new cats. I take Sudafed when I go to someone's house who has cats I haven't been exposed to yet. My immune system builds up immunity to them after so long. Short hair cats make me sneeze more than long hair kitties.

 

[AbbysMom]

It really depends. It can range from just fine to deadly. Is she allergic to cats? You can have asthma and not be allergic to cats. As foxxycat mentioned there is exercise-induced asthma and allergy-induced asthma.

 

[foxxycat]

the thing is-if medication helps=but if not then it could be dangerous-each person is individual just like cats...some people respond well with meds-some people have reactions to it. It's really up to the individual and their doctor and what the person wants to take on. I am glad to see more asthma meds on the market. My mom had COPD and if she was still alive today she would have had a much better life with the meds we have now..back then they didn't really have people use inhaled steroids-only albuterol-which as we know-albuterol doesn't deal with the inflammation that is the big symptom of asthma...as long as there's a medication that is affordable that keeps the inflammation down then it's doable.

Sorry I don't have a yes or no answer. I can only say what I would do in the situation. I am extremely allergic to horses and my throat and face itch and swell..I lived on Benadryl when I was around people with horses and it wasn't fun--so it all depends on how well the symptoms respond to treatment...so I couldn't live with horses again...hoping the meds help keep it at bay.

 

[neely]

I have extrinsic asthma which is allergy induced and, yes, I am allergic to both cats and dogs as well as outdoor irritants. I've lived with both animals but only have one cat now. I do take medicine and should be more diligent about dusting, cleaning, vacuuming, etc. but when Carleton curls up on my pillow at night I just can't resist his soft purring and sweet mannerisms. My oldest daughter is also allergic but once she moved out her allergies have improved greatly. When she comes to visit for a long weekend she notices they start to bother her again. As foxxycat mentioned above, it can be dangerous and every individual is different. My best advice would be to meet with an Allergy & Immunology specialist. Good luck!

 

[wombat]

Thanks guys! She hasn't shown any sign of asthma since childhood and shows no sign of being allergic to cats. I'm just worried it might develop in the future.